File unit for card-index files



July 7, 1942. T. H. COOIPER 2,289,103 2 FILE UNIT FOR CARD INDEX FILES Filed Oct. 26, 1940 INVENTOR Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,289,103 FILE UNIT FOR CARD-INDEX FILES Thomas Heaton Cooper, Washington, D. 0. Application October 26, 1940, Serial No. 368,053

3 Claims.

The invention relates to a pocket-like holder, having a corrugated end-piece which acts as a separator of the cards that are placed in position in the holder, and also helps the user to quickly locate and pick out any desired card from it.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a quick and easy way to separate the index-cards in the file and thereby enable the user to save a great deal of time and patience.

A particular feature of the invention is that it provides a handy unit which fits into standard sized card-index files, and, according to needs, any number of units may be used.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of the file unit when closed, showing the location and measure of the corrugated end-piece.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, showing by the dotted line the shape and location of the corrugated end-piece. The shape of the right hand end of the holder is only a decorative feature.

Figure 3 is the end view partly in section, showing parallel edges of the corrugated end-piece when it is closed and a portion of a card receiving container.

Figure 4 shows the inside of the file unit when opened out flat, making the front and back parts and the base in one plane, and the corrugated end-piece, which is attached to the sides of the holder by its end planes and forming a semicircular projection on it.

Figure 5 is the end view of the holder as shown in Fig. 4, showing the radiating planes of the corrugated end-piece, something like an oldfashioned fan.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the corrugated endpiece, showing it as unconfined within the sides of the holder.

Figure 7 is a perspective of the file unit, showing it in an upright position and slightly open. The added feature of the parts in broken outline is to show the location and position of some index cards when placed in the stalls of the file unit.

As illustrated in the drawing, the file unit of my invention comprises a pocket-like holder having parallel sides, A, a flat base, B, and a corrugated end-piece C fitting within and adapted to be inserted in to an ordinary card receiving container as indicated at D in Fig. 3. The sides and base of the holder are preferably made of tough tag-paper and the creased edges between the sides and the base act as hinges on which the sides turn. The corrugated end-piece C,

preferably made of tough, thin linen paper, is attached by each of its end planes to the inner sides of the holder.

Referring to Figure 7, the illustration shows the unit when slightly open. The shapes indicated by the dotted lines represent index cards, and are meant to show the positions the cards would occupy when placed in the stalls of the corrugated end-piece, C. It is quite evident that if the unit were closed the cards in the stalls would be fairly close together; and likewise, if the unit were opened the cards would become more separated. Furthermore, it is evident that if the nearest card were rocked forward-as in the usual operation of using card indexes-the succeeding cards would be separated and rocked forward as rapidly as the operation could be performed.

For the most efficient operation in the ordinary card-index file, the units are designed to house approximately ten cards, one card only to occupy each stall in a unit. Any number of units may be used according to the number of cards to be filed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a card receiving container, a card holder unit for insertion therein and for separating and moving a plurality of index cards, said unit comprising a front portion, a back portion, each of said portions being substantially smaller than that of a single card and shaped to cover only a small portion thereof, means to hingedly connect said front and back portions at their lower edges, and a supplemental hinge member comprising a corrugated strip adapted to form a plurality of stalls for said cards and having sufficient resilience and body to' normally separate each of said cards and carry each successive card forwardly as each preceding card is moved forwardly to straighten an adjacent portion of said strip.

2. In card receiving container, a card holder unit for insertion therein and for separating and moving a plurality of index cards, said unit comprising a front portion, a back portion, a bottom portion hingedly connecting said front and back portions and a supplemental hinge portion connecting said front and back portions and comprising a corrugated strip of material having sufficient body and resilience to normally substantially separate said front and back portions and form a plurality of stalls adapted to receive and separate successive cards with their side edges between successive corrugations so that as each card is moved forwardly to flatten its adjacent corrugation the resistance of said strip to front and back portions and comprising a corrugated strip of material having suflficient body and resilience to normally substantially separate said front and back portions and form a lurality of stalls adapted to receive and separate successive cards with their side edges between successive corrugations, so that as each card is moved forwardly to flatten its adjacent corrugations the resistance of said strip to the resultant flattening 10 will move a succeeding card forwardly.

THOMAS HEATON COOPER. 

